What do you wish you knew starting out as a young woman? What lessons could the present-day you share?

The best ideas are usually the ones that suddenly appear out of nowhere, and this is what came to me today in a rush of words. I've also learned enough to know that these ideas are best shared. This is what I wish I had known and understood many years ago, lessons that have been, at times, hard won:

This is the 4th New Year that I’ve been choosing themes – or rather letting the themes choose me. I love this practice. It feels so much more fluid, less rigid, and more feminine. I’m pleased to experience how much practice does make a difference too.

Getting out of my head and into my body was a real struggle that first year.

I’ve been a bit quieter lately in emails, on the blog, and taking a break from the rabbit hole of Facebook. I find this happens every year around this time, as the days get shorter and the weather colder. It’s a natural inclination, deep in our DNA, to cycle with the seasons.

Have you ever wanted to let go of the same old pattern you know you are repeating, and change something in your life, but you just can’t seem to break free of it? Ever notice that you’re often holding yourself back but can’t quite figure out what to do about it?

Winter is a natural time for going inside – literally and figuratively in your heart and in your thoughts. It’s become more popular to have a “theme” for the year, and I’m glad the trend is happening. I think it’s a much more natural and fruitful way of going about life than New Year’s Resolutions – especially for women. In my circles, we come up with 3 words to focus on for the year: “seeds” to plant in the fallow of winter and allow to germinate and grow over the year. The analogy is one that speaks to me deeply, and I have found that the act of consciously planting these “seeds”, as a form of intention, really does set some interesting things in motion. Be careful what you wish for!